[IIGB_All] FW: Postdoctoral position in genetic and physiological mechanisms of adaptation

[Benjamin K Terao]

From: Botanyemail <botanyemail-bounces at lists.ucr.edu> On Behalf Of Loralee Larios
Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2023 10:04 AM
To: Loralee Larios <loralee at ucr.edu>
Subject: [Botanyemail] Postdoctoral position in genetic and physiological mechanisms of adaptation

Postdoctoral position in genetic and physiological mechanisms of adaptation

The Oakley lab (in collaboration with the Dilkes Lab) at Purdue University is looking for a postdoctoral scholar for an NSF funded project connecting the genotype-phenotype-fitness map for an adaptive plastic response to seasonally freezing environments. Cold acclimation is common in plants throughout the temperate zones and conditions winter freezing tolerance. This is triggered by cool autumn temperatures and involves dramatic metabolic and physiological changes. These changes are likely to be energetically costly, particularly in cool but non-freezing environments, which can lead to strong fitness trade-offs across environments. Disruption of seasonal patterns by climate change may exacerbate the negative fitness consequences of this cost, and a greater understanding of the mechanisms of this trade-off may help us understand the potential maladaptive consequences of climate change.

This project is a unique opportunity to investigate the effects of a naturally-occurring sequence polymorphism in a key regulatory gene on molecular and organismal phenotypes that impact fitness in contrasting conditions that mimic the native environments. A loss of function allele in the transcription factor CBF2 explains ecotypic differences in cold acclimated freezing tolerance, and long term-field study suggests this locus is responsible for a genetic trade-off. The project includes manipulation of CBF2 using near isogenic and genetically engineered lines (in the wild genetic backgrounds) with longitudinal sampling for RNAseq, metabolomics, plant growth, and fitness measurements. Development of new directions building on these themes, and/or developing new directions for existing long-term datasets is strongly encouraged. There is a vibrant community of interdisciplinary plant biologists (https://ag.purdue.edu/cpb/faculty/) at Purdue, providing ample opportunity for interaction and collaboration.

The postdoc will be expected to lead: Growth chamber experiments simulating parental environments to measure expression, metabolites, traits, and fitness; Tissue collection and sample preparation for RNAseq and metabolomics; Transcriptome assembly and differential expression analysis (including allele specific expression); Analysis of metabolite, phenotype, and fitness data. Creation of lines with loss of function mutations in CBF2 in different ecotypic backgrounds using CRISPR-Cas9; Manuscript preparation; supervision of a technician and undergraduate assistants: and oversight of research related activities in the lab.

A PhD in ecology & evolution, genetics, plant biology, or related discipline is required. Experience with the analysis of genomic data and/or other computational/quantitative tools is preferred. The ideal candidate will have strengths in multiple areas described above. This is initially a one-year appointment, with the possibility of a one-year extension. Ideal start date is Sept. 5, 2023, but this can be postponed 1-2 months if necessary.

Applicants should send (as a single PDF attachment): CV, a letter summarizing research interests, accomplishments, and fit to the lab and project, and the names and contact information for two professional references. Review of applications will begin July 31, 2023, and will continue until a suitable candidate is found.

Chris Oakley
oakleyc at purdue.edu<mailto:oakleyc at purdue.edu>
https://btny.purdue.edu/labs/oakley
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